Three senior executives from the bank at the centre of Ireland's economic crash have gone on trial in Dublin.

It is the first time Irish bankers have faced criminal charges for their alleged role in pushing the country's finances to the brink of collapse, prompting the bailout and austerity.

Sean FitzPatrick, Pat Whelan and William McAteer arrived at court to deny 16 charges of unlawfully providing financial assistance to people for the purpose of buying shares in Anglo Irish Bank in 2008.

They stand accused in Court 19 of the Courts of Criminal Justice of granting loans to favoured clients who, it is alleged, bought shares in the now defunct bank to prop up its share price during the credit crunch.